Knitting-machine.



J. C. DUEMLER.

KNITTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 19,1902.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

INVENTOH 4T HNEY.

Patented Jan. 18, 1910.

WI TNESSES J. C. DUEMLER. KNITTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 19,1902.

0 2 m T a N Wm J R m W MU MN m m m N m A J H V A M C M 3 1||||1Ili|1||1||||1 Jv I m w a P WITNESSES:

J. C. DUEMLER.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 19,1902.

PatentedJan.18,'1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOB 2% 8] WITNESSES:

ANDREWI B, GRAHAM 00., mow-umccmwzns. WASNHGTOM u. c.

-sectional detail as on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

UNTTE TATES ATENT @FFTCE.

JOHN C. DUEMLER, OF SOUTH BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN E. LONERGAN AND HENRY BBINTON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, CGPART- NERS TRADING AS H. BRINTON & CO.

KNITTING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan. 18, 1910.

Application filed July 19, 1902. Serial No. 116,138.

the usual picker devices 12 by means of which certain needles are successively moved into and out of action during the reciprocations of the cam cylinder in knitting the heel and toe portions of a stocking. Thus far the machine is of well known construction and needs no detailed description herein.

In the present embodiment of my invention I employ three sets of needles 13, 13 and 13 which are alike in every respect eX- cept that their latches are of different lengths, the lengths of the latches of the needles, 13*, being shorter than the latches of the needles 13; and the lengths of the latches of the needles 13 being shorter than the latches of the needles 13. These needles are arranged in the relation indicated in Figs. 6 and 7: that is to say, the needles 13 are arranged at intervals around the entire cylinder, the needles 13 are arranged at intervals around one half of the cylinder, and the needles 13 are arranged at intervals around the other half of the cylinder.

Arranged in the cam cylinder 3 adjacent the usual cams is a lowering cam 14 and a raising cam 15, which are adapted to actuate the needles in conjunction with stitch cam 8 in the formation of the leg and foot portions of a stocking. The cam 14 is mounted on a stem 16 which projects through a boss 17 on the cam cylinder and is held normally inward, as shown, by the action of a spring 18. The outer end of the stem 16 is proj vided with a collar 19 in which is formed a I V'shapedsocket 20 which registers with a t -shaped projection 21 on the boss. By

s turning the collar 19 so that the socket 2O knitting of the leg portion of a stocking. escapes the projection 21, the cam 1 1 is Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the positions withdrawn, or moved out of action, to per- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN G. DUEMLER, citizen of the United States, residing at South Bethlehem, in the countyof Northampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitting-lvlachines, the same being designated Case B, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to knitting machines, and especially to circular knitting machines, such as are employed in the production of stockings, the object being to provide a mechanism whereby knitted fabric having open stripes may be produced.

To this end the invention, as generally stated, consists in the employment of a thread feed and a series of needles in combination with means whereby a novel relative action between the needles and the stitches is effected, as will be hereinafter particularly described and claimed.

In the drawings-Figure 1 is a plan of a portion of a circular knitting machine embodying my invention, certain parts being omitted. Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof, as on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, including the needle cylinder, the needles and the latch guard. Fig. 3 is a development of a portion of the exterior of the cam cylinder, the frame and the segmental cam. Fig. 1 is a vertical section thereof, as on the line 1-4 of Fig. 3, including the needle cylinder. Fig. 5 is a Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a development ofthe interior of the cam cylinder and the positions of the parts during the of the parts during the knitting of the foot mit the cam cylinder to be reciprocated durportion of a stocking. Fig. 8 is an enlarged ing the formation of the heel and toe parts view of a portion of fabric produced by the of the stocking. The cam cylinder is proinvention. vided with the usual ring or latch guard 22 1 designates the bed plate, 2 the needle cylcontaining an eye 23, adjacent to the cams inder supported thereby, and 3 the cam cyl- 7 and 8 whereby thread is directed to the inder. The cam cylinder has its bearings in needles. the bed plate and is provided with bevel Mounted in the cam cylinder 3 in rear of teeth 1 with which co-act the teeth of a bevel the stitch cam 8 is an elevating cam 25 gear wheel 5 affixed to the driving shaft 6. which is movable above and below the ledge The cam cylinder is provided with the usual 11. This cam 25 is formed on or secured to cams which include the oppositely disposed a block 26 which is slidingly fitted to a verstitch cams 7, 8, and the adjacent raising tical slot 27 in the wall of the cam cylinder. cams 9, 10, leading to the supporting ledge Projecting outwardly from the block 26 is 11. The cam cylinder is also provided with a stud 28 which is provided on its free end with an anti-friction roller 29 adapted to act upon a cam 30 and thereby move the cam 25 above the ledge 11 for a purpose below described. The cam 25 is maintained normally depressed by the action of a suitable spring 31 arranged on the exterior of the cam cylinder and bearing upon the stud 28. The cam 30 is mounted on the bed plate 1, and comprises a segmental bar having a horizontal portion 32 which extends half way around the cam cylinder, and two inclined portions 33 at the respective ends of the horizontal portion, whereby the roller 29 is guided to and from the horizontal portion.

In order that the cam 30 may be raised into the path of the roller 29 or lowered therefrom. the cam is supported by screws 34 projecting from the bed plate 1 and passing through slots 35 in the cam, the latter being provided with a pin 36 which is adapted to register with a socket 37 in the bed plate, and thereby lock said cam in the raised position. The pin projects outwardly as shown, and may be readily operated by hand and the cam 30 raised or lowered as desired.

I11 Figs. 6 and 7 I have indicated by a line zcw the top of the web, or the plane where the loops are formed.

Assuming that a thread 38 is being clelivered to the needles through the eye 23, the operation of the machine is as follows During the knitting of the leg portion of a stocking the cam 30 occupies the raised position shown in Fig. 3. lVhen the said cam occupies this position, the cam 25 is raised and lowered during each revolution of the cam cylinder and maintained elevated during one half of each revolution, and, as the cam 30 extends around that half of the needle cylinder occupied by the needles 13 the cam 25 is maintained elevated during its passage by said needles. As the stitch cam 8 passes the needles the latter are drawn down to engage and act upon the thread 38, and the elevating cam 10 raises the needles to the ledge 11. At this point the latches of the needles 13 are raised above and have escaped the loops of thread just formed. The needles in one-half of the cylinder are next acted upon by cam 25 which raises the needles slightly higher than cam 10 and causes the latches of needles 13 to escape their loops, the latches of the needles 13 still remaining in their loops. The needles are next operated by cam let. At this point the needles are drawn down below the plane w:r, and the latches of the needles l3 and 13 being free, close over the hooks of the needles and thereby cause the latter to cast off their loops of thread; and the needles 13, having their latches engaged by their loops, merely draw down and retain said loops. for a succeeding course of stitches. As the cam cylinder advances the needles are raised by the cam 40 sufficiently to cause the latches of the needles 13 to escape their loops. The cam 8 now meets the needles again and draws down the latter to engage and act upon the thread 38, the needles l3 knitting the thread into the fabric in the usual manner; and the needles 13 and 13 being clear of their loops, draw down the thread without knitting. Thus it will be seen that the needles 13 and 13 do not knit the thread, but merely draw out sutlicient thread to form a connection between the rows of stitches, thereby producing longitudinal open stripes through the fabric at each point where the needles 13 and 13 occur, the needles 13 knitting successive rows of stitches at right angles to and intersected by the longitudinal open stripes. After the completion of the leg portion of the stocking, the cam 14- is moved out of action and the cam cylinder is reciprocated to knit the heel, the needles being thrown into and out of action in the usual manner.

In order to continue the open stripes along the top of the foot portion of the stocking and omit said stripes from the bottom thereof, I lower cam 30 to position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, just prior to commencing the knitting of the heel. \Vhen the said cam occupies this position, the cam 25 remains below the ledge 11 and their needles 13 being arranged in that half of the cylinder employed in the knitting the bottom of the foot of the stocking, and being unaffected by the cam 25 retain their loops and knit the thread into the fabric similarly to the needles 13. As the needles 13 arranged in the other half of the cylinder, are raised by cam 10 sutliciently to clear their latches of their loops of thread, they, of course, knit the open stripes in the fabric along the top of the foot portion of the stocking, as previously explained.

I clain1- 1. In a knitting machine, the combination with the needles having latches of different lengths, their support and a thread feed, of means for actuating said needles whereby they are all caused to receive and act upon succeeding loops of thread, and means for causing certain of said needles, having latches under a predetermined length, to cast off their loops preparatory to receiving thread for the formation of new loops.

2. In a knitting machine, the combination with the needles having latches of different lengths, their support, a thread feed, the cam carrier, actuating means therefor, and a stitch cam to effect the operation of the needles upon the threads, of means in rear of said stitch cam whereby certain of the needles having latches under a predeter mined length are raised so that their latches escape their engaged loops of thread, and

means in advance of said stitch cam whereby the needles having their latches tree are caused to cast oit, their engaged loops.

3. In a knitting machine, the combination with a plurality of sets of needles having latches of difl'erent lengths, their support, a thread feed, the cam carrier, actuating means therefor, and a stitch cam to effect the operation of the needles upon the thread, of a cam in rear of said stitch cam whereby the needles are raised so that the latches of one set will escape their engaged loops of thread, a movable cam in rear of said stitch cam whereby the needles are raised to disengage the latches of another set from their engaged loops of thread, means for moving said movable cam into and out of action, means in advance of said stitch cam where by the needles having their latches tree are caused to cast oil their engaged loops, and means, intermediate the last-named means and the stitch cam, whereby the needles are raised to disengage all their latches from the loops.

t. In a knitting machine, the combination with a needle cylinder, a plurality of sets of needles having latches of different lengths, a cam cylinder, its actuating means, thread feed, and a stitch cam to effect the operation of the needles upon the thread, of a cam in rear of said stitch cam whereby the needles are raised to disengage the latches of one set from their engaged loops of thread, a movable cam in rear of said stitch cam whereby the needles are raised to disengage the latches of another set from their engaged loops, a projection on said movable cam, a cam with which said projection coacts during a partial revolution of the cam cylinder, means for moving said last named cam into and out of the path of said projection whereby periodical action of said movable cam is effected, means in advance of said stitch cam whereby the needles having their latches tree are caused to cast off their engaged loops, and means, intermediate the last-named means and the stitch cam, where by the needles are raised to disengage all their latches from their engaged loops.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN G. DUEMLER.

lVitnesses OSCAR J. MOONEY, M. J. MAssAIT. 

